President Donald Trump announced a potentially historic breakthrough in the Gaza peace process Thursday night\u2014but the hard part may only be beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump said Hamas and other armed factions had agreed to completely disarm under a phased roadmap negotiated by his international Board of Peace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If the agreement survives, Hamas would surrender the weapons and underground infrastructure it has spent decades building, give up control of Gaza and make way for a new Palestinian government. Israel would withdraw its forces as the terrorist group\u2019s arsenal is dismantled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cToday, the Board of Peace reached a HISTORIC agreement for the COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza,\u201d Trump wrote on Truth Social<\/a>. \u201cThis is a monumental step toward lasting PEACE and SECURITY.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trump said the agreement could finally deliver security for Israel while preventing Gaza from once again becoming a launchpad for terrorist attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis agreement is a critical step towards Gaza finally being governed by a new Palestinian government that will work closely with the Board of Peace to help the Palestinian people,\u201d Trump continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAt the same time, Israel will have the security it deserves, with Gaza no longer used as a base for terror attacks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Under the roadmap, disarmament would unfold in several carefully monitored stages. Israeli troops would withdraw only as Hamas and the other factions fulfill their obligations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An International Stabilization Force would then work with a newly recruited Palestinian police force to secure Gaza and prevent Hamas from reclaiming power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe threat that emerged from Gaza on October 7 will NOT be allowed to rebuild!\u201d Trump declared. \u201cUnder this agreement, Gaza will finally be in the hands of a new Palestinian government that serves its PEOPLE.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trump thanked Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, along with his administration\u2019s negotiating team, for helping secure the agreement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOne year ago there was a violent raging war, humanitarian crisis and hostages kept in brutal captivity,\u201d he wrote. \u201cWe have made historic progress and there is still much work to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Board of Peace called the roadmap a \u201chistoric breakthrough,\u201d saying it marked the first time Hamas had formally accepted an actionable plan to surrender all of its weapons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The process would begin with firearms controlled by Gaza\u2019s existing police. A new Palestinian government, known as the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, would recruit and vet officers for a replacement police force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Heavy weapons, ammunition depots, weapons factories and Hamas\u2019 sprawling tunnel network would be tackled in later stages. Militias, armed clans and other terrorist factions would also have to surrender their arsenals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Officials estimate that fully disarming Gaza could take between 200 and 350 days. Reconstruction could begin sector by sector as individual areas are cleared of weapons and terrorist infrastructure, according to The Jerusalem Post<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The entire deal is built around what officials called \u201czero trust.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Every step must be independently verified before the other side is required to fulfill its next obligation. If Hamas stops cooperating, Israel\u2019s withdrawal would also stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But the roadmap immediately ran into conflicting interpretations from Hamas and Israel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hamas negotiator Ghazi Hamad told Reuters on Friday that the group was prepared to hand its weapons to the new Gaza government. However, he said disarmament would depend upon Israel withdrawing its forces, approving the agreement and allowing international security personnel into Gaza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An Israeli official outlined the opposite sequence, insisting that Hamas must surrender its weapons and Gaza must be fully demilitarized before Israeli troops withdraw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere will be no IDF withdrawal from the Yellow Line in the Gaza Strip before Hamas is disarmed and the Strip is fully demilitarized,\u201d the official told The Times of Israel<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had not publicly endorsed the latest roadmap as of Friday morning, while some Israeli political figures were already urging him to reject it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A U.S. official acknowledged that Israel remained deeply skeptical that Hamas would actually dismantle the arsenal and tunnel system at the center of its power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Trump administration argues that Israel would be protected by the deal\u2019s strict verification process and would not be forced to surrender territory while Hamas still posed an internal threat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The agreement grew out of Trump\u2019s 20-point Gaza peace plan. Its first phase produced an October ceasefire and the return of Israeli hostages, but negotiations later stalled over Hamas\u2019 weapons, Israel\u2019s withdrawal and Gaza\u2019s future government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trump has now secured an agreement on paper addressing those seemingly intractable disputes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether he can force the bitter enemies to carry it out may be the ultimate test of his Middle East peace push.<\/p>\n\n\n\n